When I was younger, and even until this day, my parents have always told me that I have an old soul. I definitely agree with them because even though technology might be really useful and convenient, I always wish I could’ve experienced my life without it. I am the type of person who prefers riding my bike into town during the summer, just walk around shops, never actually purchasing anything, to just enjoy my time outside. Thats why I was really excited for this experiment.

For my scrolling experiment, I realized that I needed to buy some art supplies that I was running low on, as well as a box to carry my supplies in. I immediately opened the Amazon app on my phone and began to scroll through my search of the specific art supplies I was looking for. It was very easy for me to find these items but I spent almost 2 hours trying to find the cheapest versions of these items. This actually made my experience very stressful because I was never satisfied with the price of my items. I had a bit of a different experience when searching for the art box online. I had a very specific image in mind of what I wanted, however, I am convinced that this design does not exist. Therefore, since I was shopping online, I had assumed that I could find it somewhere and spent hours looking to find nothing of the sort. Overall, my experience was okay at first, but eventually stressed me out too much and I had to stop.

For my browsing experiment, I was actually unable to go shopping until this Sunday because I had sprained my ankle unexpectedly. However, I had the perfect opportunity to document my experience from the honors trip to NYC. My friend Donnie and I had two goals during this trip: 1)Have the best day ever and 2)Find some sort of unreasonably large stuffed animal to comically bring back on the bus with us. To fulfill these goals, we went to many different places all over the city. Many of them, like the Disney Store, Line Friends, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Kinokuniya were way too expensive to actually purchase anything from, so we just enjoyed looking at all the cool things that we were really tempted to buy. I think that this really added to my positive experience because just looking at all of the cool items in the store was satisfying enough. (The price tags definitely prevented me from spending more than I did). But soon enough, we encountered a really small store called the, “Toy Store” and we did some browsing for funny and large stuffed animals. Most of the larger stuffed animals were over $70 and we immediately knew we weren’t going to be purchasing anything there. However, my favorite experience in this store was finding a really questionable looking Thor plushie. It was so unexpected that I burst out laughing and got yelled at in the store. I proceeded to run out the front door and down the street with my friend, laughing the entire way. This is one of my favorite memories from this trip. However, that isn’t all. I am also highly tempted by all of the street vendors that I make an effort to stop at every vendor to make them feel better about their artwork. Most of the pieces these artists made were already collecting in my room back home so I knew I shouldn’t purchase any. However, I found these handmade wire figures that were stunning to look at. I spent almost an hour at his stand just contemplating whether or not I wanted to spend $40 on a dragon and I caved. I have a very soft spot for cool decorations, but also posters, so I did end up buying some cool posters as well. Overall, I had an amazing day and barely stressed at all.

After completing both of these experiments, I can say that there are pros and cons to both browsing and scrolling. I definitely prefer browsing over scrolling any day, in hopes that I may have another story like the Thor one. However, I am a very busy person, who barely has enough time to complete homework, so how could I find the time to make it to these stores to just browse? I enjoy having the option to shop online when I need something urgently and cannot walk to the store to buy it. Especially because walking takes a while and I am not allowed to have my car on campus yet, so it is very inconvenient for me to shop in person. Also, when scrolling, it is much easier to find exactly what you’re looking for. I also notice that depending on what I am purchasing, I pay more attention to the money I spend online rather than the amount I spend in person. However, if I am shopping for clothes online, I do find myself spending more money than I plan on spending. When shopping in person, if I am paying with cash, I am very conscious of how much money I am spending, but when using a credit card, the black hole of overspending money starts to form. I noticed that while in the city I was tempted my many cheaper items that added up a bit, but I was still avoiding the more expensive items. (Something about physical price tags scares me). I also think that when shopping in person, I had lower expectations of finding anything specific and enjoyed the randomness that followed. But with online shopping, I stressed myself out way too much over trivial details I wanted on my art box. Overall, I just think that shopping in person is much more personable, unique and enjoyable than shopping online.

Now enjoy some pictures of the items mentioned in my trip!

Browsing V.S. Scrolling

On Saturday, I will be going to my friend Evelyn’s birthday party. She’s turning 20, and has been my best friend since high school. I needed to buy her a gift, so I decided to purchase her gift while doing this experiment.

I had a couple of goals going into this experiment. My friend is a big Broadway, Disney, and Harry Potter fan, so I wanted to buy something related to her passions. I set myself a $50 budget and had to buy a card along with the gift.

On Wednesday the 22nd at 3pm, I went to a number of different stores along Main Street in New Paltz. Eventually, I ended up in Heady Teddy’s Outfitters, where I bought her a generic mug. Some of the other stores I stopped at were Antiques on Main, Inquiring Minds Bookstore, and Groovy Blueberry. It was fun hopping from one store to another. I went with a different friend, and it was a good chance to socialize and laugh. I didn’t know ahead of time what the stores had in stock, so I was unaware of what I would find. I ultimately found some nice things, such as outfits and bags. Evelyn has a very specific style, however, so none of the clothes I found worked. Not knowing what the stores had in stock was a nerve-racking experience, since I needed to buy something for a specific purpose. I ultimately bought her a generic gift from the physical store.

Not using my phone was easier than I thought it would be. My friend provided enough distraction as we joked around. A couple of times, I found myself tempted to check if I got any messages. I had to fight my habitual tendency to open my phone.

When we entered Heady Teddy’s Outfitters, my friend had to excuse himself and step outside. He said that it was too crowded in the store, making him nervous. This is something I hadn’t considered when comparing browsing vs scrolling. Those who have social anxiety or don’t do well in crowded places benefit from scrolling. There’s no one around, so you can take your time without feeling pressured.

The next day, Thursday the 23rd at 1:30pm, I went on Amazon to search for a second gift. It was a slightly lonely experience, and I found myself wanting to text people in order to socialize. However, I wasn’t limited by what a physical store carried. I was able to find niche products that better suited my friend. For example, I found a Harry Potter cookbook for college students. Evelyn is going to college to become a chef, and is a big Harry Potter fan, so it was perfect.

After about half an hour of scrolling, I started to get distracted. I was looking up objects that weren’t related to my search. I spent approximately three hours looking at camping equipment, instruments, and other random items. Online stores such as Amazon promote unrestricted browsing. In a physical store, once you walk through the whole store, you’ve seen everything. On Amazon, there are hundreds of thousands of objects up for sale. If one isn’t careful, they could spend the whole day doing nothing but scrolling.

After I bought both gifts, I was conflicted about which experience was better. While I socialized with my friend at the physical store, I was able to buy a better gift online. Since both browsing and scrolling have their benefits and issues, I feel that a mix between the two is ideal. When someone wants to socialize, physically see the objects, and have a restricted browsing experience, going to a physical store is better. However, if someone wants privacy, the ability to find niche products, and an unrestricted browsing experience, then online stores are ideal.

For this first scrolling experiment, I decided on looking for a new cleanser to purchase since the one I am currently using has been drying my skin. I didn’t have a specific one in mind, so I just looked up “face cleanser” in the google search engine. What immediately popped up was a sponsored site/company called Curology, which is skincare you can get customized to your specific skin type. However, since this required me getting a subscription, I scrolled past because my goal was not to spend too much money.

As I continued to scroll I came across the people also search for box, which contained more specific searches like: “face cleanser machine”, “face cleanser for acne”…etc. This then led me to change and specify my original search to “best face cleansers for combination skin”, since it wold lead me more to what I am looking for. However more sponsored sites popped up so I decided to click on the shopping tab. What really stood out to me when doing this was seeing all of the ratings under each product and being able to choose specific price ranges to be able to find an affordable and good quality cleanser. This is a much quicker and efficient process than trying to find an item shopping in person. You would typically need to ask someone who works at the store their opinion on the product or if they have any cheaper versions which could ultimately lead to not the most truthful response. So, after narrowing the prices down I decided on purcahsing the Cetaphil facial cleanser for $14 with 4.4 star ratings. Based on the 41,560 reviews, it says that it doesn’t dry skin out which was exaclty what I was lookng for.

When starting the browsing experiment, I decided to go to my favorite store in town, Dancing Hands this Wednesday since I had no classes that day. Everytime I have gone to this store, I never have a specific thing I want to purchase as all of the items are so individual and unique. So, going into the store with the mindset of not buying anything and just looking made me feel an appreciation for the items more and gave me the opportunity to really explore. Even though this is considered a jewelry store, they sold some other things like crystals. My roomates and I purchased a cute crystal tree from there that’s currently sitting on our windowsill.

As I continued walking around, I noticed how there was always something new to look at; whether it be necklace charms, different ring designs, earrings, bracelets, etc. I found myself throughly enjoying this experience. It felt more rewarding than actually purchasing an item. It kind of felt like I was viewing the objects in this quaint shop as pieces in a museum.

Overall, I felt that the second experiment was a much more rewarding and engaging process. While online shopping can be more convenient in terms of finding a specific item you need or would like to purchase, I think that it is also very important to utlize some of your free time to browse around in stores even if you don’t buy anything. You gain a stronger connection to the objects this way and a sense of pleasure just exposing yourself to new things. So, I do agree with Guriel’s view on the importance of browsing because constantly scrolling online creates a disconnect with the real world and separates yourself from having meaningful connections with objects and their stories.

Recently I have been interested in buying a new sweatshirt. My criteria was that it had to be comfortable, creative, and affordable. Whenever I shop online I always enjoy using Etsy. I feel guilty whenever I use amazon or other sites that may not be treating workers as well. However I do believe that the convenience and prices of those sites will often compromise my morals! But for the online portion of this assignment, I will be browsing on Etsy. After putting “çomfy sweatshirt” into the search bar, I was immediately bombarded with many options. While exploring the search criteria there are several things I consider. The credibility of the seller, the cost of the item, and the design of the item. Once an item peaks my interest I can view more images and consider sizing options. Upon clicking there are several images and often a detailed description explaining why you need this item. There is a sense of urgency that comes with online shopping, text boxes stating “20 people have this in their cart” or “only 2 of this item left” makes you almost want to buy it without even thinking! One perk of online shopping is that you never have to worry about a sweatshirt not being your size as you can simply just change the size with a click of a button. Overall the experience on Etsy is very easy to use and can give you very specific items you may be interested in. However there is a sense of urgency that makes shopping stressful or very wallet draining!

Shopping in-person is a very different experience. Walking into stores there is immediately a different “vibe” from store to store. Specifically at New Paltz there is also a very friendly energy when you walk into stores! Some stores burn incense and have relaxing music playing to have a comforting energy. Other stores have rock music and band sweatshirts to match the environment. Talking with shop owners sometimes can be a little stressful as sometimes there is also an urgency to buy sometime. However there is a significant connection with browsing rather than scrolling. In the case of a sweatshirt, you can hold it to your body and see how it would look on you, some stores even allowed me to try it on. This connection to the item makes it difficult to not immediately purchase! Knowing that I don’t have to wait a few days for shipping is also a great perk of in person shopping. Being able to feel the fabric and know that the sweatshirt is soft makes for additional sensory enjoyment that scrolling does not provide. Overall I do agree with doing more browsing rather than scrolling, taking the time out of your day to explore and enjoy stores and sweatshirts makes for an overall more rewarding and fun experience! 

My old journal stores fragments of my childhood dating back to my elementary school graduation. The entries are written by my past identities: a tennis player, a summer camp student, and a stressed-out high school senior. These stories were shelved away in the bottom of my desk drawer. After our class conversations that connected storytelling to an object’s value, I wanted to recreate a personal and intimate collection of my everyday experiences outside of digital photographs hastily snapped on my phone. The permanence of my blue-black tennis racket is stored through a narrative about my first tennis tournament within the thick, yellowing pages of my journal. 

During the past month, I picked up my 0.5 ballpoint pen to begin the practice of journaling. Now, there are only thirty-one blank sheets of paper left for future writing entries within the 1-inch-thick book. My thoughts, scribbled in thin navy-blue ink, will soon have to nestle in the pages of another journal.  

I began my first experiment with the Google search engine by punching in the key term “journals.” As if reading my mind, Google displayed the exact product I was looking for. There were 6,030,000,000 results that guided me to a vast selection of potential notepads, diaries, and journals in 1.14 seconds.  

I left Google and tried scrolling on Amazon. Soon, I felt overwhelmed by the lack of tactile touch. None of the items seemed to spark the needed joy for me to click “add to cart.” After all, how could I possibly narrow my selection of notebooks from 60,000 results when many of the products had five-star reviews? Would this professionally photoshopped image of an online journal have the same color contrast in my own hands? Do the journals on Amazon have the same level of quality as my own book? My current journal laces pages together with a fine white thread. There was not a single piece of paper that ripped or slipped out after jamming dried leaves, my first paycheck, and my New Paltz college acceptance letter into the book bind. These concerns clouded my judgment and dissuaded any further willingness to complete the online purchase order.  

The ease and accessibility, yet the immemorable experience of scrolling that Guriel describes in his book, On Browsing, is accurate. Tomorrow, the small desk, the location of my current infinite scrolling will be repurposed as my workspace where I finish composing an email. If I did not record and reflect on my scrolling experiment, the experience of looking for a journal would have been forgotten. Only my browser cookies will fondly recall my digital shopping experience. However, Google’s reminder of my scrolling experiment will reappear as a pop-up advertisement that obscures my screen as I read a potential news article or shift through social media.  

My second experiment began at Manny’s Art Supplies, a local arts and crafts shop on Main Street. I stepped into the crafts store with the assumption that only sketchbooks would be stocked on the shelves, as their website advertised.

Towards the back of the store, there was a plethora of sketchbooks and a limited selection of Moleskine journals. I felt an immediate pang of disappointment. When did the brand-name, dull, solid-colored journals that I saw on Amazon invade a store that supports creativity? Many of the journaling books were wrapped in a protective transparent plastic layer to preserve their leather-bound covers and pearly-white pages.  

Usually, I do not linger in a store. However, staying true to the browsing experiment, I started wandering up and down the spacious aisles. The store was physically accessible, I noted. There were no stairs, and the slight ramp encouraged access for all individuals. My eyes roamed to admire peculiar greeting cards, while my fingers brushed against an assortment of decorative paper prints. Soon, I found myself swaying and humming to the pop music playing in the background. Between each lyrical tune, the loud creaks of the floorboards loudly creaked under every step.  

As I was about to gather my belongings and leave Manny’s, a book that depicted a field of sunflowers captured my attention. My brain immediately made the connection that my current journal also illustrated a sunflower!  

At closer inspection, I realized that I had stumbled upon brightly-hued journals that seemed to scream, pick me up! The whole shelf and the next two rotating columns were supplied with journals depicting famous mosaics and artworks. The back label of each journal briefly identified the printed design. I jotted down a few notes to remind myself to research Ohara Koson’s Tit on Paulownia and the ceiling of the Shah Mosque. 

Each journal cover had a story during the design process. My sensory need for touch was appeased as my fingertips ran along the front and back covers. I felt the indented ridges and bumps that emphasized each petal and stem. After I opened the cover, the bookbinding was engineered to lay flat for writing to feel enjoyable. Meanwhile, my current journal needs one hand to stabilize and prevent the binding from closing, even while I am writing mid-sentence.  

Suddenly, my timer of forty-five minutes beeped. Today’s browsing experience was over if I wanted to get to class on time. I left satisfied with the discovery of a local crafts store where I could purchase a potential journal that I could fill with my future musings.  

After completing the two experiments, I understand Guriel’s perspective on scrolling. Scrolling felt mind-numbing and pointless in comparison to browsing. I was not compelled to complete a purchase order because the thousands of similar-looking journals lacked a touch of personal connection.  

The whole motion of browsing included my struggle against the February wind chill, but I treasured the surge of excitement after finding the vibrant collection of journals. I lack certainty about when journal advertisements may start popping up, but I intend to browse through more local shops on Main Street to create tangible and cherished experiences.

I have always preferred browsing over scrolling for most things. I love going to malls, stores, small businesses, and even thrift stores, for the fun of the search. However, I do think scrolling has its advantages especially when you are in a pinch for time or a certain store is inaccessible to you.

I chose to search for a new book. I didn’t care what genre, author, or style the book was, as long as it looked interesting. I am a book worm and I can spend hours upon hours in a bookstore, so it was hard for me just to find one.

On the first day of this experiment, I decided to browse first because I have a large bias toward bookstores. The first store I went to was Barnes and Noble in Poughkeepsie. I spent about two hours going through each row and taking my time wandering the store and seeing what covers caught my eye. I noticed in Barnes and Noble that the books that first caught my eye were on display or set aside from the other books on the shelf. For example, each table of books in the front of the store had a cohesive theme, whether that was black history, romance, on-sale fiction, or highlighted classics. This reminded me of how online stores such as amazon push the items they want to sell by displaying them aside from other items. I found Barnes and Noble had an overwhelmingly large selection of books in stock. I took notice of how other customers either were on their phones or quickly grabbed the book they were in search of and left the store. 

The other bookstore I went to was Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz. These kinds of small business bookstores are my favorite way to buy books. As a person who loves everything neat and organized; I believe a messer bookstore is a better bookstore. I find the organized mess provides an extra element of searching for a book. I also feel there’s nothing that beats the smell of an old bookstore. I spent about another two hours in Inquiring Minds Bookstore. I personally like used books, so I had a blast uncovering all of my findings. I feel bookstores like this allow you to be surprised with what you find, free from expectations.

On the second day of this experiment, I scrolled the internet to see what books would catch my eye. I first went on Amazon and because I bought countless books from there, I was already getting recommendations for books Amazon thinks I would like. While this is a nice feature of online shopping it doesn’t always work. For example, I just recently bought a few textbooks along with book gifts, thus causing my recommendations to be skewed. I found that books on Amazon are a lot cheaper than at a bookstore like  Barnes and Noble. However, in comparison books from thrift bookstores like Inquiring Minds were cheaper than both of the other stores. I found an infinite amount of books that simply no one could go through all of them. Scrolling through Amazon took me about an hour. I was able to find a lot that interested me in a short period of time.

Lastly, I checked out an online thrift book store called ThriftedBooks. This was my first and definitely not the last time I will be using this sight. I spent about an hour on this site. The deals we insane and as little as four dollars. There was a variety of used and new books. You could also select the condition you wish to purchase your book. My only critique is, what qualifies as a good or acceptable standard for thrift books is objective, so there is a bit of a gamble. They also had other categories such as video games, movies, and music I looked through as well.

 This experiment was truly eye-opening in the differences between Browsing vs. Scrolling. I came to the conclusion that for some items like household essentials and everyday products, online shopping is a great resource to have. However, when it comes to items we hold close to our hearts, I think browsing is the best. I learned that there is nothing like holding a book in your hand and thumbing through shelves rather than just scrolling through pictures of covers. There is definitely an intentional connection when browsing for books otherwise not provided through the internet. I am a known wanderer in bookstores so I find that I go up and down every aisle thus discovering finds I would not have seen had I been scrolling for a book on the internet.  For example, I don’t read many psychology or self-help books but I found “​​Thinking Fast And Slow” by Daniel Kahneman really appealed to me.  You never know what you are going to find and who you might meet along the way. Sometimes you won’t find exactly what you are looking for but you might find something even better.  Even though it is time-consuming I believe it is a privilege to browse rather than scroll.

For this assignment, I decided to shop for a top that I need for one of my costumes for a dance show that I’m in. The choreographer of this dance described the top that she wanted us to buy as a burgundy, v-neck, crop top and sent everyone in the dance a direct link to amazon for the exact one that she wanted us all to get. But I decided instead of just clicking the link right away and purchasing the item, my roommate and I would take a trip to the Target in Poughkeepsie to not only find the burgundy, v-neck, crop top but also to run the experiment that this assignment asks us to do.

The first thing I noticed when we arrived at Target was the smell of coffee from the in-store Starbucks directly to my right. As we began to browse around the store I noticed just how much Target really caters to its customers and values their shopping experience. The store is accessible and has a nice warm feeling when you walk in, and I’ve never once met a Target worker that wasn’t extremely helpful and accommodating. I feel like this is one of the reasons that, despite the immense increase in online shopping over the last decade, Target has remained a busy hub for all things shopping-wise. 

Another aspect that I noticed while I was browsing around for my shirt was the autonomy I had over myself. There’s a sense of freedom that comes with in-person shopping that online shopping just doesn’t have. The ability to mosey around the isles and choose what I specifically want to look at, rather than being automatically recommended a bunch of other items, is a good feeling that more people should experience regularly. 

As I looked around the workout section for a top that fit the description I was given by my choreographer, I noticed that it was hard to find a top that checked off all of the boxes. I found a few shirts that were cropped and had a v-neck but were more magenta than burgundy. I never got to find the exact shirt that I wanted but I wouldn’t consider the trip out to target a failure in the slightest. I got to spend the day out with my roommate, I got Starbucks, and I even found a cute little porcelain bunny that I saw in the one-dollar section that I ended up buying.

On the bus ride home from Target, I found the text from my choreographer and opened up the amazon link for the exact shirt I needed. It was extremely easy to buy because I had my debit card info automatically in the app. 

My final thoughts are that online shopping is quicker and better at condensing the process of shopping, but doesn’t make you feel anything. Browsing isn’t as good as streamlining the process of shopping and is not helpful when you’re looking for an extremely specific item but allows you to take in your surroundings and feel freer in your venture. Even Though finding specific items and buying them efficiently is an important aspect of shopping, I definitely do see the value in browsing and further appreciate the fun day that I had because of my decision to browse rather than scrolling.

“Scrolling is the ideal way to remain disconnected from any given activity.” That was my perspective approaching this activity.

And that appears to be perfect for what they want. They; the corporations, businessmen, the government–people outside of my reach who are never content. So, they construct algorithms that are perfect for capitalizing on shortening attention spans, increasing acceptability for and access to creating debt, and worsening social skills/environments.

However, sometimes it’s perfect for what we want too. We; the consumers, the lower and middle-class workforce, the people. We get to receive the dopamine our brains crave in the comfort of our own solitude, while still receiving all of the groceries/food, entertainment, and material goods we want or need. We love the ease, simplicity, and mindlessness of it.

It appears as though there must be a middle ground where the world can become more accessible, efficient, effective, practical, and “easy” while also allowing for sustainability, social connection, and mindfulness to thrive.

This comes from conscientious consumer decisions, which can only occur when corporations stop preying upon consumers, which only comes from conscientious consumer political decisions, which can only occur when corporations stop preying upon politicians, and the cycle persists.

It can feel extremely discouraging to be stuck in this cycle, one we had no decision in starting, and that mentality plagues every second I spend and spent scrolling.

Scrolling with the idea that the alternative was browsing in mind, it felt as though I was doing something wrong. Which, I suppose I kind of was. The sites that I know of to make online purchases are built upon foundations of inhumane labor practices and utilize systems of shipment and packaging that are destroying the environment. But, it seems like nowadays this is the default and socially acceptable, and the alternative is no longer accessible.

Is the alternative even that much better?

Going to the mall and shop seems to be fading in popularity as it does not fit into the narrative as well as it used to–it is no longer the most convenient. And, as a consumer and materialist culture, we are constantly aware of the easiest options.

I found that rather than having an eye-opening and awakening experience shopping at the mall, it was more revealing in this experiment that scrolling was an activity that is not always done with intentionality. I have conflicting feelings about this. On one hand, I feel as though I should be more aware of the time I spend scrolling, how I use it, and being aware of the systems at play. However, on the other hand, I found that it was not always something I was actively thinking about, but something I was aware of (the algorithms at play) and feel that scrolling is almost closer to browsing when you aren’t thinking about all the terrible things behind it.

My favorite part of browsing is the disconnection from work and the regular work week to get together and bond with friends. I dislike browsing in a mall for similar reasons that I dislike scrolling: flashy dishonest advertisements vying for my attention and money for greedy and destructive corporations.

I think that the “solution” (if there is one) is not to just stop scrolling. We can’t “go back to how it used to be” because it used to have its own flaws too. Malls represent, to me, the culmination of a consumer culture without access to our every second. I don’t think they deserve the glorification they have received in our culture. They served the purpose of making life easier (condensing where stores are located) but their existence beyond that feels to me like just a predecessor to the problem we have now. I think that positive change must be enacted through legislation and socially cognisant corporations that make scrolling less harmful, addictive, destructive, etc., because then we could use scrolling for all of the accessibility and efficiency that it allows for without guilt and without reliance. With that, we could be disconnected in the same positive way that browsing allows, while having time for being connected through other activities.

Both scrolling and browsing disconnect and connect us, we just have to be better about keeping these impacts positive. Or maybe the urge to make these as efficiently positive as possible is just another byproduct of the system that is not intrinsically natural to humanity–maybe the end goal is really just the process.

I’ve never browsed on a street full of closed shops before.

It wasn’t my intention when I drove my friend over to Water Street Market between classes on the dreary Tuesday of February 21st. Before we went, my friend was worried that they would have to stop back at their dorm because they didn’t have their wallet with them. I told them it wasn’t a big deal and that we would simply go browse—and that, worse case, I would pay and they could venmo me back. There was something really sweet about this simple message, and the unspoken, “I enjoy your company and want to spend time with you” did not go unheard. 

Upon our arrival, the usually bustling shopping center was uncharacteristically quiet. I’m not sure why I thought the local stores would be open at 11 AM on a Tuesday, but we were already there and decided to explore anyway. 

Our first stop was the Antique Barn, which I have visited many times before. I think of the gaudy earrings I have purchased there in the past and wonder if they have any additions to their collection of eclectic salt and pepper shakers. Are the overpriced jackets and random family photographs still there? Although we could not venture inside, they had a few overflowing bins marked, “FREE”. The conversation flitted around as we leafed through books and vinyls that had seen better days. There was a set of white and green drinking vessels marked as “Irish Coffee Cups” in worn elegant scrawl, a set of mismatched figurines of children singing or holding shoes or simply sitting there, and a stuffed animal of Alvin the chipmunk with the teeth nearly on his chin rather than on the thin black thread representing his smile. In my search, I found three books that piqued my interest: The House on Mango Street, a sequel in the Bunnicula series, and a basic Betty Crocker Cookbook. Among our repartee, I found myself clicking my alveolar ridge and chiding, “If they’re still here when we come back, it was meant to be” in a playfully maternal tone. We laughed and continued our journey empty-handed. Sure enough, they were still there when we passed the Antique Barn on the way back to the car. 

Although we were out in public, our excursion felt very intimate and private. On the other hand, when I was physically alone in my room I felt as though my every move were being watched and monitored. 

When I looked up “Thirftbooks” on Wednesday, February 22nd around 6:10 PM, I was greeted with a “Hi Sky!” under my Account tab and immediately brought to my online shopping cart labeled “Cart subtotal (0 items): $0.00 (USD)” along with a “Based on your recent browsing” recommendation subsection. After only a few seconds, my “Honey” browser extension flashed a popup telling me it had found two coupons to apply to this site—complete with animated confetti and a cheerful anprophomorphic dancing gold coin. After testing both coupons, neither worked. Even with adblock downloaded on my laptop, I was met with a bombarding of colorful advertisements vying for my attention: “You have 1 FREE BOOK reward available! Add any valid item under $5 to redeem. Continue shopping. Order any Collectible item and earn Double Rewards on each Collectible item purchased. Offer details.” “Your shopping cart is currently empty. Fill it up with some of out Best Sellers!” Overall, it was a very overstimulating experience, even on a site I love and swear by.

During this experiment, I wasn’t looking for anything specific. I did not have an immediate purpose and felt as though I had nothing to look for, and therefore my experience felt pointless and like a waste of time. I felt languid, bored, and even frustrated. No, I don’t need another copy of a book I previously bought off of the site—I already bought it! That means that I have it! Stop advertising it to me! I did find it interesting to look back at my previous orders, listed out by date with the number of items, price, and order number. It was a brief, but enjoyable, spark of memory. My most recent order included three items: The Hare with Amber Eyes, Frankenstein, and Crying in H Mart, which I found to be amusing and ironic. I took a moment to reflect on the novels I read for my Deaf Culture class last spring, the Ocean Vuong books I bought for myself as a special treat, the picture book I got for a project, the complete collection of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and the Martin Yan cookbooks I bought my dad for his birthday after he got a wok during quarantine. The site tells me I placed this last order on 11/27/2020 at 13:20:36. Down to the millisecond. Seeing that I got it in November, maybe the cookbook was actually a gift for the holidays. I see that “The Yan Can Cookbook” was shipped out on 11/27/2020, while the “Martin Yan Quick and Easy” and “Shakespeare’s Sonnets” were sent out together on 11/28/2020. This is information that I did not ask for and did not need, and yet it was kind of fun to look through. 

I do think both scrolling and browsing have their place, although in terms of enjoyment I tend to have an affinity for the quick banter and playful energy of browsing. Scrolling can be more beneficial in terms of instant gratification and efficiency, but I think we have gotten too uncomfortable with being bored. Something that really stuck with me from my browsing experiment was the sense of purposelessness. In a society that expects us to work ourselves to death, it felt freeing to just exist and be unproductive for a little while. One of my suitemates has a quote that she likes to say that I think perfectly encapsulates my experience with browsing in beautifully simplistic terms: “We live to lollygag another day.” We do, indeed. 

After reading over the assignment, I thought about the things I would like to have. I decided that the most practical approach would be to buy myself a new water bottle, since my current one is broken. I have a Camelbak water bottle. I was against buying a Hydro Flask for so long, as I didn’t want to fit the stereotype of the “vsco girl” with my “Hydro Flasksksksks”. At least that’s what everyone said back in middle school when people had one. 

I took a trip with two of my friends to Poughkeepsie to visit the Dick’s Sporting Goods. Apparently that’s the closest place to New Paltz that sells Hydro Flasks.

We walked around the store until we found the section with the water bottles. The Hydro Flasks were all perfectly lined up in a colorful display; a display that was very aesthetically pleasing to look at. They helped me look for one I liked, yet the ones I liked were way more expensive than I was willing to pay for. We decided since we were already there, that we should look around the store for something we might like to buy for ourselves.

We played dress-up by trying on clothes and modeling in them. We all helped each other decide what item looked best which was a lot of fun; especially because there was loud music playing and you could strut and dance to the beats. I didn’t get a water bottle, but I left with two new shorts, a tank top, and a great time. On the way home, we blasted music and stopped at McDonald’s for a McFlurry. It was a great time.

A few days later, I decided to look online for the water bottle I still needed. I went to the Hydro Flask website to take a look. When I opened the page, the first thing it said was: “40% Off Sale”. This was exciting, as I knew these water bottles were quite costly. 

There were 3 colors of the 40 oz bottle and I added the light green one to my cart. When I went into my cart and looked at the pricing, it said I was 3 cents away from free shipping. 3 cents. They knew what they were doing when they made the sale of the water bottle for $29.97, while the free shipping minimum was $30. I wasn’t spending $5.99 for free shipping, so naturally I added a straw cap to my cart for $14.99. 

Before I checked out, I went over to Amazon to find the same cap for a lower price. Low and behold, there were caps for a lower price; however, none of them were spill-proof like the one for $14.99 was. Honestly, I feel like every cap is “spill-proof” but this caught me in the trap they made for the customers. I didn’t enjoy the fact that their psychologically manipulative business tactics were working on me, even though I was aware of them. I ended up buying the water bottle and cap from the Hydro Flask website. In terms of saving money, I did save 40%. Though on the other hand, I bought one of the most expensive water bottle brands, and then bought a cap with a straw to save myself from having to pay for shipping. 

In comparing both experiences, finding the water bottle online was definitely easier. It took less time, and I was given more results than at the store I visited. However, going to the store was a blast. I had a great time going out with my friends; it felt like less of a task, and more of an event. I’m honestly surprised I had such a good time at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’m a dancer and never saw myself enjoying a sports store. 

In terms of whether we should do more browsing or scrolling, the answer depends on the situation. We should do more scrolling if we are short on time and searching for an item with the goal of a purchase in mind. We should do more browsing if we have the time and are looking for a good experience.